Nowadays, the mobile phone network is a great deal more dependable (and there’s a lot less static involved). But sometimes, it will still be hard to hear what the individual on the other end is saying. And for people who have hearing loss, it can be particularly difficult.
There must be a simple fix for that, right? Why not utilize a pair of hearing aids to make your phone conversations a little easier? Actually, it doesn’t work precisely like that. Even though hearing aids do help with conversations, with phone conversations it can be a bit more challenging. But there are some tips for phone calls with hearing aids that can help you get a bit more from your next conversation.
Why hearing aids and phone calls don’t always get along
Hearing loss usually progresses slowly. It’s not like someone just turns down the general volume on your ears. It has a tendency to go a little at a time. It’s likely that you won’t even notice you have hearing loss and your brain will try to use contextual and visual clues to compensate.
So when you get on the phone, all of that contextual info disappears. Your Brain doesn’t have the info it requires to fill in the blanks. There’s only a really muffled voice and you only make out bits and pieces of the spectrum of the other person’s voice.
Hearing aids can help – here’s how
This can be improved by wearing hearing aids. They’ll especially help your ears fill in many of those missing pieces. But there are a few unique accessibility and communication troubles that happen from wearing hearing aids while talking on the phone.
Feedback can happen when your hearing aids come near a phone, for example. This can result in some awkward gaps in conversation because you can’t hear really well.
Tips to enhance the phone call experience
So, what can you do to control the difficulties of using a phone with hearing aids? the majority of hearing specialists will endorse a few tips:
- Download a video call app: Face-timing somebody or jumping onto a video chat can be a great way to help you hear better. The sound won’t be louder or more clear, but at least you will have that visual information back. And this can help you put context to what’s being talked about.
- Don’t conceal your hearing problems from the person you’re speaking with: It’s okay to admit if you’re having trouble! You might simply need to be a little extra patient, or you might want to think about switching to text, email, or video chat.
- You can use your Bluetooth function on your hearing aid to stream to your phone. Yes, contemporary hearing aids can stream to your cellphone via Bluetooth! This means that if your hearing aids are Bluetooth capable, phone calls can be streamed right to your phone. If you’re having trouble using your phone with your hearing aid, a good place to begin eliminating feedback would be switching to Bluetooth.
- Put your phone in speaker mode as frequently as possible: This will protect against the most serious feedback. There may still be a little distortion, but your phone call should be mostly understandable (if not necessarily private). The best way to keep your phone and your hearing aid apart is by using speakerphone.
- Find a quiet place to carry out your phone calls. The less noise near you, the easier it will be to make out the voice of the person you’re on the phone with. Your hearing aids will be much more effective by reducing background noise.
- Utilize other assistive hearing devices: There are other assistive devices and services that can help you hear better when you’re having a phone conversation (including many text-to-type services).
Depending on your general hearing needs, how often you use the phone, and what you use your phone for, the appropriate set of solutions will be available. Your ability to once again enjoy phone conversations will be made possible with the right approach.
Call us for some help and advice on how to best utilize your phone and hearing aids at the same time.